Position after : Nf6 , last edited by Max Rau-Chaplin (1600)[2006 November 5]

The idea behind Nf6 is that black can take back the pawn the next turn with the knight and not lose tempo by having his queen attacked. If white tries to hold onto the pawn with 3. c4, black has 3...c6! offering a pawn for a significant lead in development (Panov-Botvinnik atack). Best for white is to decline the pawn and transpose to the Caro-Kann defence with 4.d4.